RobinThicke brings new tour, biggest song of 2013 to Borgata Sunday

Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” tour of North America has gotten off to a rocky start, after the pop star had to cancel the first two shows late last month because he lost his voice.

Hopefully, Thicke, who’s touring behind his mega-hit album and single of the same name, will be back in top vocal form by the time he hits Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa 8 p.m. Sunday, March 2.

Thicke, who will be joined in A.C. by openers DJ Cassidy and K. Michelle, is having a career year with “Blurred Lines” (Interscope).

The Grammy-nominated album — Thicke’s sixth studio release — made its debut last summer at the top of the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, the title track, with Pharrell Williams and T.I., became a worldwide phenomenon, hitting No. 1 in more than 100 countries.

The track, which set a record for topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks in the U.S., was last year’s top-selling single, moving some 6.5 million copies. “Blurred Lines” also made the 2013 Google Zeitgeist, for ranking in the Top 10 of “most searched song” and “most searched song lyrics.”

However, those very same lyrics have landed Thicke in hot water on some college campuses in the U.S. and in the U.K. for allegedly condoning non-consensual sex, with phrases like, “I know you want it.”

Thicke, who is the son of former sitcom and game show host star Alan Thicke and his ex-wife, singer-actress Gloria Loring, has dismissed such criticisms as being “ridiculous.” His performance of the track with Miley Cyrus at last year’s Video Music Awards on MTV also sparked controversy, mainly for Cyrus’ envelope-pushing dance moves.

The Los Angeles native, who recently announced his separation from his wife, actress Paula Patton, views the song as being about “blurring the lines between men and women and how much we're the same,” he tells the BBC's Radio 1.

“And the other side which is the blurred lines between a good girl and a bad girl, and even very good girls all have little bad sides to them."

Opening for Thicke is K. Michelle, an R&B singer-songwriter who got signed by Atlantic Records after appearing in the VH-1 reality series, “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” In August, she released her first album, “Rebellious Soul,” which launched at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and the top spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Second opener DJ Cassidy is a New York-based celebrity DJ who’s known for handling spinning duties at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ White Parties and other events, as well as the inaugural balls for President Barack Obama’s first term.

He has just put out “Calling All Hearts,” a track featuring Thicke and Jessie that will be the lead single from his forthcoming studio debut, “Paradise Royale” (Columbia Records); the latter is slated for a spring release.

Robin Thicke with K. Michelle and DJ Cassidy

WHEN: 8 p.m. Sunday, March 2

WHERE: Event Center, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City

HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $69 and $79, are available at the Borgata’s box office, TheBorgata.com and PressofAtlanticCity.com/Tickets